Costa Mesa City Council Wrap-up

-- Compiled by Lolita Harper

Here are some of the decisions made at the Costa Mesa City Council

meeting Monday:

COUNTY LIGHT RAIL

WHAT HAPPENED: The City Council agreed to send a joint letter, signed

by the mayors of Costa Mesa, Irvine and Santa Ana to encourage the Orange

County Transportation Authority to begin engineering a revised project.

The letter is to be sent only if both the Irvine and Santa Ana city

councils approve the action also.

Costa Mesa has diligently planned for the possibility of a light rail

project by setting aside stations and working with property owners to

ensure compatibility with the system in the future.

Mayor Libby Cowan said the city has long supported the Centerline

project. Costa Mesa is also in a unique position because the light rail

system cannot be built without the city’s approval, but at the same time,

the city cannot move forward on it alone.

Numerous audience members supported the project, calling it a

necessary answer to Southern California’s transportation woes.

WHAT IT MEANS:

If Irvine and Santa Ana agree that a letter should be sent to the

Orange County Transportation Authority, Cowan will also sign the letter

urging the authority to reexamine the project.

VOTE: 5-0

WHAT WAS SAID:

Resident Frank Forbath said that although he will probably never use

the system, he would like to see it implemented for his grandchildren.

“Whether you like it or not, all professional projections show that

California will continue to grow. Something has to be done,” he said.

BARK PARK

WHAT HAPPENED: The City Council approved a tentative limit of four

dogs per person Monday for users of Bark Park, located off Newport

Boulevard.

Following residents’ and Bark Park users’ complaints about

unsupervised dogs, the city sought to limit the number of dogs a person

could bring to the park. Park users alleged certain individuals,

including employees of local dog-walking agencies, were bringing up to 20

dogs to the park at a time, said William Morris, director of public

services.

The reason for the limitation was to ensure dogs at the park have

proper supervision, said Donna Theriault, of the Public Services

Department, on Friday. If the ratio of dogs to people is unbalanced, dogs

have more tendency to dig up the grass, run wild or become more

aggressive with other dogs, he said.

Bark Park was closed in the summer of 2000 to allow the city to add

parking and walkways to improve access for individuals with disabilities

and to give the Costa Mesa Bark Park Foundation a chance to grow grass.

Bark Park reopened in December with a new irrigation system and

landscaping.

The Public Services Department decided on a four-dog limit because it

falls in line with the city’s existing four-animal limitation per

household, Theriault said. Irvine and Huntington Beach each employ a

limit of three dogs per person, a staff report shows. The Huntington

Beach City Council voted to impose the limit two weeks ago.

WHAT IT MEANS:

If the ordinance is approved, park users will be required to bring no

more than four dogs to the park at one time.

VOTE: 5-0

FAIRVIEW PARK

WHAT HAPPENED: Council members voted to authorize a part-time position

for a naturalist at Fairview Park.

Proposed responsibilities for the position include supervising the

development of Fairview Park, acting as an advocate for the park’s master

plan and fostering an effective relationship with the community, city

staff and council.

Staff initially recommended a full-time position, but council members

Gary Monahan and Karen Robinson thought the amount of work needed at the

park did not necessitate such a large time and financial commitment.

Although a full-time position would have been temporary -- designated

for only a few years -- Monahan feared once the person was brought on,

the city would argue to keep the position. In fact, Monahan felt the

position would be best suited for a contracted person, but did not pursue

the option because of a lack of support.

Cowan argued strongly about the need for a full-time naturalist at

Fairview Park but was defeated when it came to a vote.

WHAT IT MEANS: Costa Mesa will begin recruiting for a part-time

naturalist for Fairview Park who will be expected to help restore the

park to its original state and implement a master plan.

VOTE: 5-0 to authorize a part-time naturalist position.

WHAT WAS SAID: Cowan insisted a full-time position was essential to

the tasks.

“This is something that is really near and dear to my heart. I believe

Fairview Park requires full-time attention and this is the right thing to

do,” Cowan said.

NEXT MEETING

* WHAT: Costa Mesa City Council meeting

* WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15

* WHERE: City Hall, 77 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa

* INFO: (714) 754-5223